In this buzz-worthy finale of our Caring Critters series, we're spotlighting one of the planet's most unexpected environmental heroes: honey bees trained to detect landmines.

Yes - real bees. Real landmines. Real hope.

After the Balkan Wars, Croatia was left with over 90,000 unexploded landmines, making vast landscapes too dangerous for farming, wildlife, or reforestation. But thanks to the sharp sense of smell in these fuzzy pollinators, scientists at the University of Zagreb are helping clear former war zones using nature itself.

This story is a mix of:

• Wildlife restoration
• Landmine detection using bees
• Eco-innovation
• Post-conflict land healing
• ...and good old-fashioned bee bravery

We’ll explore how trained bees use their noses (which can detect TNT at the parts-per-trillion level) to identify minefields, how their flight paths are monitored with thermal imaging, and how their work is reviving ecosystems once lost to war.

No digging. No drones. No drama. Just bees.

Tune in for a fascinating, hopeful story about climate resilience, land restoration, and the astonishing ways animals are helping us heal the planet - one wingbeat at a time.

If you enjoy feel-good environmental stories, climate optimism, and surprising science, this one’s for you.

This episode is narrated by Ally Murphy from Voiceover for the Planet

Resources:

Wired - Honey bees trained to sniff out landmines in Croatia

BBC – Mine-Sniffing Bees in Croatia

National Geographic – Honeybees Used to Sniff Out Landmines

Croatian Mine Action Centre – Environmental Solutions

Support the show

Good News from Planet Earth is brought to you by Voiceover for the Planet, proud members of 1% for the Planet.

Produced by Ally Murphy and Anne Cloud

Sound Designed and Mixed by Brandon Perry at Sound Nectar Studios

If you'd like a member of Voiceover for the Planet to narrate your project, email [email protected]

This week on Good News from Planet Earth, we’re spotlighting some of the hungriest climate heroes around: firefighting goats.

Across California, Oregon, Colorado, and more, goats are being deployed to munch through dry brush, reduce wildfire risk, and create natural firebreaks - no bulldozers or fuel required! These four-legged landscapers climb steep hillsides, devour invasive plants (even poison oak!), and leave healthier soil behind.

This is climate adaptation at its finest: low-tech, low-carbon, and undeniably effective. From urban grazing programs to biodiversity boosts, goats are showing us that sometimes the best solutions come with horns and hooves.

Wildfire prevention with goats
Targeted grazing for climate resilience
Soil health and ecosystem restoration
Urban grazing in U.S. cities

If you love practical climate solutions, land management wins, or just adorable animals doing useful things, this episode’s for you.

This episode is narrated by Anne Cloud from Voiceover for the Planet

Resources:

The Washington Post – Goats Are Being Deployed to Prevent Wildfires

NPR – Why Goats Are Being Used to Fight Fires

Scientific American – Goats Could Help Mitigate Wildfires

CAL FIRE – Vegetation Management and Grazing

The Guardian – Goats Used to Clear Brush and Prevent Fires

Support the show

Good News from Planet Earth is brought to you by Voiceover for the Planet, proud members of 1% for the Planet.

Produced by Ally Murphy and Anne Cloud

Sound Designed and Mixed by Brandon Perry at Sound Nectar Studios

If you'd like a member of Voiceover for the Planet to narrate your project, email [email protected]

Octopuses & Ocean Climate Wins: The Soft-Bodied Heroes of Blue Carbon

In this Caring Critters episode of Good News from Planet Earth, we dive deep into the surprising role octopuses play in the fight against climate change.

These eight-armed ocean dwellers aren't just camouflage pros and escape artists, they're keystone predators helping to protect fragile blue carbon ecosystems like seagrass meadows and kelp forests. By keeping crab populations in check, octopuses help seagrass thrive, and that means more coastal carbon capture.

But it doesn’t stop underwater. Octopuses are also inspiring breakthroughs in soft robotics, from gentle plastic-collecting machines to reef-safe sensors that monitor marine health and climate data.

Octopus climate impact
Blue carbon & seagrass ecosystems
Biomimicry and ocean-inspired robotics
Coastal conservation success stories

If you love marine science, unexpected climate heroes, or mind-blowing animal intelligence, this one’s for you!

Narrated by Ally Murphy from Voiceover for the Planet

Resources:

National Geographic – Octopuses Inspire Soft Robotics

Nature Communications – Blue Carbon Sequestration by Seagrasses

Science Advances (2020) – Octopus Role in Benthic Ecosystems

Smithsonian Ocean – What Is Blue Carbon?

Wired – Why Soft Robotics Is the Future (Thanks, Octopuses)

Support the show

Good News from Planet Earth is brought to you by Voiceover for the Planet, proud members of 1% for the Planet.

Produced by Ally Murphy and Anne Cloud

Sound Designed and Mixed by Brandon Perry at Sound Nectar Studios

If you'd like a member of Voiceover for the Planet to narrate your project, email [email protected]

On today’s episode of Good News from Planet Earth, we’re going underground, literally - to meet the wombat: a chunky, cube-pooping marsupial with a surprising role in climate resilience.

During Australia’s devastating Black Summer bushfires, wombat burrows became unexpected wildlife shelters, giving refuge to wallabies, echidnas, reptiles—even birds. But that’s just the beginning.

These furry diggers are quietly helping restore soil health, support native plant growth, and even inspire robotics design with their famously cube-shaped poop. (Yes, really!)

This is a story about natural climate adaptation, underground ecosystems, and the overlooked brilliance of animals doing their thing, and saving lives in the process.

Wildfire survival and wombat burrows
Soil restoration and seed dispersal
Cube-shaped poop meets soft robotics
Australian wildlife and climate resilience

If you love quirky science, animal allies, or just a really solid poop fact, this episode is for you!

This episode is narrated by Ally Murphy from Voiceover for the Planet.

Resources:

The Conversation – Animals Took Refuge in Wombat Burrows During the Bushfires

Good Things Guy - Wombats Save Others from Fire

Australian Wildlife Conservancy – Digging Mammals Project

Smithsonian Magazine – How Do Wombats Make Cube-Shaped Poop?

National Geographic – Scientists Solved the Mystery of Wombats’ Cube-Shaped Poop

Support the show

Good News from Planet Earth is brought to you by Voiceover for the Planet, proud members of 1% for the Planet.

Produced by Ally Murphy and Anne Cloud

Sound Designed and Mixed by Brandon Perry at Sound Nectar Studios

If you'd like a member of Voiceover for the Planet to narrate your project, email [email protected]

How Beavers Saved a Wetland (and $1.2 Million)!
 This week on Good News from Planet Earth, we’re heading to the Czech Republic to meet the world’s furriest engineers, Eurasian beavers - who stepped in when a government dam project stalled and saved an entire ecosystem.

With no permits, no budget, and a lot of mud, these beavers rehydrated dried-up wetlands, restored biodiversity, and brought back frogs, birds, and even the rare stone crayfish!

This is a story about natural habitat restoration, rewilding, and what happens when we get out of nature’s way.

💚 Wetland conservation
🦫 Beavers as ecosystem engineers
🌍 Feel-good environmental news

If you love climate optimism, wildlife wins, and animal-led restoration, hit play! And share it with your favorite nature nerd, or someone who needs a lift in their day with some good news.

This episode is narrated by Anne Cloud from Voiceover for the Planet.

Resources:

Radio Prague International – Beavers to the Rescue in Brdy Wetlands

Euronews Green – How Beavers Saved a Czech Wetland and a Million Euros

Czech University of Life Sciences – Research on Wetland Restoration and Beaver Impact 

Support the show

Good News from Planet Earth is brought to you by Voiceover for the Planet, proud members of 1% for the Planet.

Produced by Ally Murphy and Anne Cloud

Sound Designed and Mixed by Brandon Perry at Sound Nectar Studios

If you'd like a member of Voiceover for the Planet to narrate your project, email [email protected]

A little mini episode to let you know what we're all about! Which is telling all the good news from Planet Earth!

From fire fighting goats, to grandmas becoming solar powered superheroes! This podcast will give you snack sized episodes of joy every month, packaged up into seasons. 

We're shining a light on stories from around the world, of people, communities and creatures who are helping fight climate change, make a difference to their world and make an impact to the environment. Celebrating all the happy moments that are still happening on this planet, right now!

Get ready for our first season - Caring Critters - coming July 7th - July 11th 2025!

Hosted by Anne Cloud & Ally Murphy

Good News from Planet Earth is brought to you by Voiceover for the Planet, proud members of 1% for the Planet.

Produced by Ally Murphy and Anne Cloud

Sound Designed and Mixed by Brandon Perry at Sound Nectar Studios

If you'd like a member of Voiceover for the Planet to narrate your project, email [email protected]